Engine rocker arm



Aug. 11, 1953 J. M. LEAKE 2,648,235

ENGINE ROCKER ARM Filed Aug. 51, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to rocker arms and more particularly to the typeused in the valve mechanism of overhead valve internal combustionengines.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an engine rocker arm for anengine in which the push rod and valve stem lie in a plane that forms anoblique angle with the center line of the rocker arm shaft. In myimproved engine rocker arm the hub is secured in the arm member at anoblique angle. In the present type of engine rocker arms the arm membersare bent inorder to place the contacting bearings in proper alignmentwith the push rod and valve stem. When the angle between the plane ofthe push rod and valve stem and the center line of the rocker arm shaftdeviates too far from a right angle it becomes impossible to bend thearm member satisfactorily. In this type of engine two separate arms,secured at right angles to a hub and spaced suitable distance apart, areused so that the contacting bearing on one arm engages the push rodwhile the contacting bearing on the other arm engages the valve stem.

One object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm. in whichthe arm member forms an oblique angle with the centerline of the hub.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm thatdoes not require the bending of the arm member in the fabricationprocess.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker armcomprising a minimum number of parts.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm with asingle layer plate metal arm member.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm thatdoes not require brazing or welding processes in its fabrication.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm thatis strong, durable and inexpensive.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination and arrangements of the various parts of mydevice as described in the specification, claimed in the claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an engine rocker arm embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the engine rocker arm shown in Fig. 1.

2 Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the arm member used in my improvedengine rocker arm.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2an assembled engine rocker arm provided with an arm member I. The armmember is stamped from a sheet of preformed plate metal as shown in Fig.4. An aperture 2 is pierced at an oblique angle to the plane of the armmember Contacting bearings 3 and 4 are provided at the ends of the armmember I. The surfaces of the contacting bearings 3 and 4 are preferablyhardened to resist wear.

A tubular hub member 5 is inserted in the aperture 2. The hub member 5is then upset on each side of the arm member I thus providing ellipticalflanges or upset portions 6 and l. The elliptical flanges 6 and rigidlyand permanently secure the hub member 5 to the arm member I. Since thehub 5 extends at an oblique angle to the arm member I the flanges 6 andl are elliptical.

The aperture 2 is pierced at an oblique angle to the plane of the armmember I. The hub 5 is inserted in the aperture 2 and then secured inplace. It will be noted that the plane of the arm member I is then at anoblique angle to the center line of the hub member 5. When the rockerarm is assembled in the valve mechanism of an overhead valve internalcombustion engine the rocker shaft (not shown) is inserted in the hubmember 5. The contacting bearings 3 and 4 will then be properlypositioned to engage the push rod and valve stem of the engine.

The angle between the arm member I and the hub 5 can be varied bypiercing the aperture 2 at different angles to the plane of the armmember. It will be noted that with my novel engine rocker armconstruction engagement of valve stem and push rod can be providedregardless of the relative positions of the valve stem and push rod.

It will further be noted that my novel engine rocker arm eliminates theuse of a bent arm member, or of two arm members secured to a hub member.Furthermore my novel structure eliminates brazing and welding processes.

The details and arrangements herein shown may be varied by a skilledmechanic without departing from the scope of my invention as expressedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. An engine rocker arm comprising a stamped arm member of plate metalwith uniformly thick mid-section and solid vertical and substantiallycylindrical and portions integral therewith and extending from the topside to the bottom side of said arm member and at the extremitiesthereof, the under surface of said cylindrical portions forming fixedcontacting bearing surfaces, a cylindrical aperture in said arm memberintermediated said contacting bearings, the centerline of said apertureextending at an oblique angle to the plate of said arm member and atubular hub member secured in said cylindrical aperture so that thecenterline of said tubular bushing coincides with the center line ofsaid cylindrical aperture, said hub provided with two elliptical flangesupset intermediate its ends and one of said flanges extending outwardlyand adjacent each side of said arm member, whereby longitudinal androtary motion of said hub is prevented in said arm member.

2. An engine rocker arm comprising a stamped substantially flat platemetal arm member, a plurality of contacting bearings provided in theproximity of the ends of said arm member, an aperture in said arm memberbounded by cylindrical Walls extending at an oblique angle to the normalplane of said fiat plate metal arm member and a cylindrical hub memberlocated in said aperture with the normal plane of said hub member inengagement with said cylindrical surface bounding said aperture, saidhub member provided with a substantially continuous inner cylindricalsurface and two elliptical outwardly extending flanges upsetintermediate its ends and one of said flanges extending outwardly and inengagement with each side wall of said arm member whereby rotary andlongitudinal motion of said hub member in said arm member is prevented.

JAMES M. LEAKE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,224,835 Blackstone May 1, 1917 1,362,709 Lee Dec. 21, 19201,449,611 Konigslow Mar. 27, 1923 1,605,722 Harper Nov. 2, 19261,644,750 Short Oct. 11, 1927 1,943,631 Skillman Jan. 16, 1934 2,176,083Leake Oct. 17, 1939 2,529,089 Leake Nov. 7, 1950

